Belt tightener



Jan. 5, 1965 w. E. ROOD, JR 3,164,027

BELT TIGHTENER Original Filed Feb. 16, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 :IIIIIII h IIIII HE Z /5 37 /5 Jan. 5, 1965 w. E. ROOD, JR

BELT TIGI-ITENER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Feb. 16, 1961 United States Patent ()1 3,164,027 BELT TIGHTENER William E. Rood, Jr., Phoenix, Ariz., assignor to Garland Sales Company, Phoenix, Ariz., a corporation of Arizona Original application Feb. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 89,695. Divided and this application Nov. 16, 1962, Ser. No.

In my above cited co-pending application, a device is described for salvaging cotton that has been knocked to the ground during a previous picking operation. This down cotton, if retrieved before it is ground into the dirt, is a valuable economic asset which may substantially enhance the yield of a cotton field.

The cotton retrieving apparatus of the type described in the co-pending application utilizes pickup belts of the type shown in Patent Number 2,670,584 dated March 2, 1954. To permit the effective retrieval of down cotton, it is necessary that the retrieving means (i.e., a retrieval belt) be permitted to follow the contour of the ground while being maintained under constant even tension.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a belt tightener suitable for use with cotton retrieving equipment.

t is a further object of the present invention to provide a belt tightener which permits a belt and pulley combination to follow the contour of the earth while maintaining proper tension in the belt and maintaining a portion of the belt at a predetermined desired height above the ground.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a belt tightener arrangement whereby sticks, dirt, and debris are prevented from interfering with the operation of a belt and pulley combination following the contour of the ground.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the description thereof proceeds.

Briefly stated, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a belt tightener is provided having telescoping tubes which are spring-loaded to an extended position. One end of one tube is provided with a flanged pulley for protecting a belt in contact therewith from attracting dirt and debris. The other end of the other telescoping tube is provided with a thimble which is journaled on a shaft for rotation. A drum, rotating on an axis in fixed relation with the axis of the thimble, is provided to permit the belt to ride thereon. The pulley axis is thereby permitted to pivot about the axis of the thimble while the drum, about which the belt travels, is maintained in fixed relation to the thimble.

The invention, both as to its organization and operation together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 shows a belt tightener constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view, slightly enlarged and partially in section, taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cotton retrieval apparatus useful for indicating the manner in which .the belt tightener of the pres ent invention will be used.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of several belt tighteners,

3,164,027 Patented Jan. 5, 1965 each constructed in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, illustrating the manner in which the belt tighteners operate.

Referring to FIG. 1, a belt 10 of pliant material, such as described and claimed in Patent Number 2,670,584 dated March 2, 1954, is shown. The belt 10 is mounted to flex about a pulley 11 to enable the traverse cuts or slots 12 in the belt to open and form V-shaped openings such as shown at 13. The pulley 11 is provided with flanges 15 to prevent mud, dirt, and other debris from interfering with the cooperation of the pulley and the belt. The pulley is mounted on a rod 16 which telescopes into a hollow member or rod 17. The rod 17 is provided with a thimble 18 at one end thereof which, in turn, is journaled for rotation about a transverse shaft or bar 19. A spring mechanism, such as shown at 20, is provided to urge the rod 16 away from the rod 17. A drum 22 is journaled on a second transverse shaft or bar 23 and provides a second flexing surface for the belt 10. The drum 22, when a plurality of belts are to be used, may be provided with a plurality of transversely spaced elements (not shown in FIG. 1) to keep the belts separated as they pass over the drum. In the view shown in FIG. 1, the transversely spaced elements are not shown; however, these elements are indicated at numeral 25 in FIG. 4. An additional element 30 may be provided with a transverse bar 32 which, when elevated as shown by the arrow in FIG. 1, would engage the rod 17 and pivot the latter upwardly about transverse bar 19. This particular feature may be incorporated in the cotton retrieving apparatus when it is desired to raise the belts from the contact of the earth.

Referring to FIG. 2, the flanges 15, pulley 11, rod 16, and belt 10 are provided as described in connection with FIG. 1. It may be noted that the pulley 11 actually comprises a pair of opposed flanged members joined in the center to form a double pulley. In this manner, a surface 35 is provided upon which the belt 10 may ride. Similarly, the space between the opposing halves of the pulley 11 permits a flat extension 36 of the rod 16 to secure the pulley in position and provide a journaling means for the pulley 11 such as that shown at 37.

Referring to FIG. 3, the belt tightening apparatus is shown generally at 40. The belt tightening apparatus is mounted on a down cotton retrieving apparatus 41. The apparatus 41 is drawn to the left in FIG. 3 over the down cotton. The belt 10 riding over pulley 11, contacts the ground and grips the down cotton as described in the previously mentioned Patent 2,670,584. It may be noted that the belt 10, to be effective, must follow the contour of the ground so as to come in contact with all down cotton regardless of the lay of the land. Accordingly, the belt must be made to pivot to permit such contourfollowing action. However, for proper action, it is necessary to keep belts, such as the belt 10, under proper tension. After extended periods of operation, it is to be expected that pliant belts may stretch, and therefore, tend to become less effective. Further, since the cotton being picked up by the belt 10 must be delivered to the apparatus 41 at a given location within the apparatus, it is imperative that the cotton be released by the belt 10 at only one location. Therefore, referring to FIG. 4, it may be seen that the belt and pulley combination may pivot about the transverse bar 19. In this manner, each of the belt tightening pulley arrangements permits the corresponding belt to follow the contour of the land. The contour is demonstrated in FIG. 4 by the heavy line 43. While the belts are following the contour of the land, and pivoting about the transverse bar 19, the tension is maintained in each belt by the telescoping rods 16 and 17 associated with each belt.

'2; .9 Further, thedr-um 22, (FIG. 1) maintains the opposite end t each belt at a predetermined and fixed position with reference to the remainder of the cotton retrieving apparatus. I

It may therefore be seen, that each belt is maintained at the proper tension by the telescoping arms, while being permitted to pivot and follow the ground contour. In addition, the opposite end of the ground-following portion of the belt is maintained at a prescribed height above the ground to permit the cotton discharged by each belt to be collected.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications and variations of the disclosedbelt tightener may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the belt 10 may be a chain or metal link flexible member rather than a pliant or plastic material. Further, it is not necessary that the mounting means opposite the pulley endof each belt be a drum. The present invention contemplates that the drum may be replaced by a series of pulleys.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a cotton retrieving apparatus, a belt tightening device comprising: a plurality of pulleys each for mounting a different one of a plurality of belts, a drum for mounting all of said belts, a first transverse bar rotatably supporting said drum,la second transverse bar in fixed spaced-apart relation to said first transverse bar, and a plurality of spring biasing means, each pivotally connected at one end thereof to said second transverse bar and connected at the opposite end thereof to a respective one of said pulleys.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of said spring biasing means comprises a pair of telescoping rods provided with a spring within one of said rods for urging said rods apart.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 660,750 10/00 Cunningham 74-242.15 X 1,153,372 9/15 Churchward 74242.15 X 1,380,965 6/21 l-lowes 74-230.01 X 2,052,900 9/36 Searles et a1.

2,080,744 5/37 Rogers 74-23001 2,670,584 3/54 Rood et a1. 5628 2,955,443 10/60 Fulop 74230.01 X 3,028,693 4/62 Malzahn 74-242.14 X

DQN A. WAITE, Primary Examiner.

MILTON KAUFMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN A COTTON RETRIEVING APPARATUS, A BELT TIGHTENING DEVICE COMPRISING: A PLURALITY OF PULLEYS EACH FOR MOUNTING A DIFFERENT ONE OF A PLURALITY OF BELTS, A DRUM FOR MOUNTING ALL OF SAID BELTS, A FIRST TRANSVERSE BAR ROTATABLY SUPPORTING SAID DRUM, A SECOND TRANSVERSE BAR ROTATABLY SPACED-APART RELATION TO SAID FIRST TRANSVERSE BAR, AND A PLURALITY OF SPRING BIASING MEANS, EACH PIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ONE END THEREOF TO SAID SECOND TRANSVERSE BAR AND CONNECTED AT THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID PULLEYS. 